Land acquisition stalls approach road work of Kurigram’s Sonahat Bridge

Construction of the approach road on one end of the Sonahat Bridge over the Dudhkumar river in Bangshonahat union under Kurigram's Bhurungamari upazila has remained stalled due to complications over land acquisition.

As a result, although the main structure of the 655-metre bridge has been completed, it has yet to open to traffic as the approach road on the Sonahat Land Port side remains incomplete after local people obstructed the work, claiming ownership of the land.

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Nizam Uddin Ahmed, executive engineer of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Kurigram, said the bridge is being constructed beside an old railway iron bridge over the river. The land around the bridge is owned by Bangladesh Railway.

The approach road work will begin after acquiring land from the Ministry of Railways. An inter-ministerial meeting is expected to resolve the issue in October, he added.

“After the inter-ministerial meeting, the land will be surveyed at the field level and ownership will be determined. If the land is found to be owned by local residents, it will be acquired by paying them the market value. The sooner the issue is resolved, the sooner the bridge can be opened to traffic,” he said.

The RHD initiated construction of the bridge in 2019, with a deadline of 2021. However, construction remained suspended for two years due to complications with the design, raising the project cost by Tk 6 crore.

MM Builders and Engineers Ltd and National Development Engineers Ltd carried out the construction work at a cost of Tk 133.33 crore.

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Local people from Bhurungamari and Nageshwari upazilas are forced to use the risky railway bridge to cross the river to access the district headquarters. Photo: Star

Shamim Reza, project manager, said the main structure was completed in August this year. Of the 2,300-metre approach road, only 250 metres on one side of the bridge remain incomplete due to complications over land acquisition.

“Once the issue is resolved, we will be able to resume construction work,” he said.

Under the circumstances, local people from Bhurungamari and Nageshwari upazilas are forced to use the risky railway bridge to cross the river to access the district headquarters, while around 150-200 stone-laden cargo trucks from Sonahat Land Port also use it daily.

Monowar Hossain, 60, a local resident, said some plots near the bridge are owned by local residents, including 20 decimals owned by himself.

He said local people obstructed construction of the approach road because they had not been paid compensation for their land. “We have no objection if we receive compensation at the market value of our land,” he said.

Belal Hossain, 43, a truck driver, said, “The old railway bridge could collapse at any time and cause accidents.”

Akmal Hossain, president of the Sonahat Land Port C&F Agents Association, said, “Trading activities at the land port are less than expected due to poor connectivity.”

“Many truck drivers are reluctant to use the old bridge, so traders have to hire them at higher rates for goods transport. Once the new bridge is opened, many traders will engage in import-export activities through this land port,” he added.